Vehicles help vets: Car show to raise money for pavers
Published 10:31 am Monday, August 17, 2015
Cars packed Lafayette Park during the first River Rats Car Show Saturday afternoon. Money raised went to support the local veteran memorial pavers and the Austin Area Foundation. — Photos by Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
Car enthusiasts revved their engines and showed off their automobiles for a good cause Saturday.
The River Rats Car Club of Austin held its first Veterans Memorial Car Show Saturday at Lafayette Park to help Mower County veterans pay for pavers at the Mower County Veteran’s Memorial in Austin.
Chuck Morem sits next to his 1923 Ford Model T during the River Rats Car Show.
“We’re raising money for the Mower County Veteran’s Memorial Wall for the people that can’t afford to buy a block with their name on it,” President of the River Rats Car Club John Devries said.
For Jean Sauer of Austin, car shows are a regular opportunity to bring out her 1985 Monte Carlo SS, but this show was for a special cause.
“My husband’s really good friends with the people in the River Rats and it’s for a good cause for the veterans,” Sauer said.
A skeleton looks out from the passenger seat of Marvin Forcell’s 1955 Chevy Belair.
More than 110 automobiles were on display at the show, and Devries said the club also hopes to do good things for the community through different shows and helping other clubs. The car show also had a silent auction with many homemade items, a bounce house and things for children. The Boy Scouts and Pizza Ranch served food to raise money for their own causes.
“Just having a good time, having car shows, and hopefully raise money and help the Mower County veterans,” Devries said.
Recently, Sauer brought her car to Spring Valley and Rose Creek for car shows.
She enjoys car shows not only for the various vehicles, but also the camaraderie in the car owners.
“With car owners it’s a real camaraderie, they go to different car shows together and travel together,” Sauer said. “It’s kind of a car family.”
Chuck Morem of Austin was happy to show off his 1923 Ford Model T, also known as a T-Bucket.
“I’ve got three or four more cars,” Morem, who owns the car with his brother, Gary Morem, said. “I love them.”
Morem hoped to attend the car show next year as well.
“People get together, what they call motor heads, and there’s a lot of friendship out here,” he said. “And it’s for a good cause.”
Don Taft, of Loveland, Colorado takes a picture of a car during the River Rats Car Show at Lafayette Park Saturday. Don was in town visiting his daughter’s family.
The car show also had dog tags made for the first registered cars, and Devries said future shows will have dog tags for each branch of the military.
“We got a bunch of new members and we wanted to put on a car show,” Devries said. “So we decided to do it for the vets and we’re probably going to do it every year for the vets.”
Veterans groups and supporters have had an active summer. Along with debuting a field of flags at Bandshell Park during Freedom Fest, the memorial, located on the Mower County Government Center lawn at 201 First St. NE, reached its goal of 1,056 pavers for the first stage of the project. Individual pavers cost about $300.
